Gliders in the Grand Canyon

Marty Shapiro wrote:
Mxsmanic took his dick out of his mouth and wrote in
:

It's just a strip of dirt. That's all it has ever been. You can
still land on it and take off from it, so it's operational. It
doesn't need a tower or terminal or first-class lounge to be a usable
airport.

BULL ****. An "X" on a runway means that the controlling authority
for that runway has closed it. While it might be usable in an emergency,
there is no guarantee that the runway is in any condition to safely land or
take off. The owner of L50, Arizona DOT, has put an "X" on the runway. It

I drove the entire length of the runway at Toroweep (Tuweap) a few
months ago in a pickup truck. I didn't see an X. The national park
service ranger stationed about a mile away says that it still gets very
occasional use.

Bret Berger wrote:


I drove the entire length of the runway at Toroweep (Tuweap) a few
months ago in a pickup truck. I didn't see an X. The national park
service ranger stationed about a mile away says that it still gets very
occasional use.

The following is offered because a lot has been said about Tuweep.
This airstrip is an example of the fuzzy (IMHO) distinction between
open, closed, maintained or not. Though it's legally closed, as the
above poster states, it is usable. Its condition unmaintained appears to
be the same as it was maintained. I landed there once a few years ago
for the heck of it and to take a pee. I drive by it about once a year.
It's 60-70 miles from any paved road in a hot dry landscape with no
building or natural shade. Aside from the NPS ranger (who has no
authority over the strip), there is only one other resident in the whole
valley, I believe. Any airport manager was in name only, and there was
no equipment for maintenance. Possibly the county road grader made an
appearance every few years, but I haven't seen any evidence of it. There
is absolutely no place to go once you land there, unless you're a hiker
used to the heat. The nearest and only attraction is about 6.5 miles by
road at the Toroweap overlook of the Grand Canyon, and that is as
spectacular a sight as you'll ever see, well worth the effort, but would
suggest you drive in and spend the night at the campground. Despite
attempts by back country pilots to "reopen" this strip, I think its
"glory" days ended when they stopped flying in supplies and rafters for
the Colorado River trips many years ago.